Dynamic current-switching studies of parallel loads on the COBRA driver

In pulsed-power-driven experiments, current may be switched from one path into a parallel circuit by increasing the inductance of the original path or breaking it completely. This type of switching can be used to create a steep current rise in the non-switch load that delivers increased power, useful in inertial confinement fusion and high energy density physics experiments. Our study focuses on switching current from a wire array load into a parallel static load (a rod). We use the 1 MA COBRA driver at Cornell University to explore the effects of different initial inductances of a static rod load and wire array switch load on switching time, switching duration and fraction of current switched into the static load. We also present a study of single-wire switching experiments where the electrode geometry surrounding the wire is varied to study the effect on how completely the wire path is broken.